A porch is a small enclosed structure built over a front or side door, adding a weatherproof entrance space for coats, shoes and deliveries, improving security and reducing draughts and heat loss from the house.
Whether you live in one of the larger towns, such as Plymouth, Exeter, Paignton and Torquay, or somewhere quieter in Devon, the way we handle a new porch is identical. We survey, agree the specification with you, and confirm a fixed price on paper. Everything is planned under the regulations in force in England, and guide costs in the South West sit at £3,600–£8,200 with VAT.
- Guide price
- £3,600–£8,200 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 weeks on site
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 2% above the national guide
- Towns listed
- 11
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Porches prices in Devon
Below is a breakdown of typical costs for a new porch in Devon. Because rates in the South West are about 2% above the national guide, the overall guide comes to £3,600–£8,200, including VAT. Size, materials and access move the figure, and a free-of-charge survey settles it.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Devon |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy or open porch | A tiled or lead canopy, or an open timber porch, over an existing door. | £1,000–£3,100 |
| uPVC or aluminium porch | A glazed enclosed porch on a brick dwarf wall with a new door. | £3,100–£5,600 |
| Brick-built porch | A fully brick-built porch matching the house, with tiled roof, windows and lighting. | £5,600–£10,000 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Floor area and height of the porch
- Roof type and how it meets the house
- Door and window specification
- Drains, meters or paths that need moving
Scope of the work
- Survey of the doorway, paths, drains and meters
- Roof tiled or covered to suit the house, with flashing
- Windows and an external door in your chosen style
- Guttering and a downpipe connected to drainage
- Electrics for lighting or sockets by a qualified electrician
- Plastering, sills, skirting and flooring ready to use
Housing across Devon
Devon is known for cob and thatch cottages, especially in mid and east Devon, alongside granite on Dartmoor and red sandstone around Exeter. Exeter and Plymouth have Georgian and Victorian terraces, Plymouth's centre was largely rebuilt after the war, and seaside towns such as Torquay and Exmouth have rendered villas and newer estates.
Cob and stone homes need breathable lime plaster and render rather than cement. Victorian terraces suit loft rooms and window replacement, while post-war and newer homes often take extensions, rendering and roofline renewal.
Mild but wet, with strong coastal winds; exposed elevations need render and pointing specified for driving rain, and cob walls must be kept dry at the base.
Planning and building rules in Devon
For anyone in Devon, the relevant framework is England's. The summary below is general, so we always contact the council about your address before putting a price in writing.
In England, a porch is usually permitted development if its ground floor area is no more than 3 m², no part is higher than 3 m, and it is at least 2 m from any boundary with a road.
Small porches at ground level are usually exempt from Building Regulations if the front door stays in place between porch and house, but safety glazing and any electrics must still comply.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
The four stages
We look at the job
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for a new porch so the price reflects your home.
Written quote
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Booking the work
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
On site to finish
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
How we work
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a porch?
Whether a porch needs planning permission depends on its size and height, how close it is to a road, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you live in. In England, a porch is usually permitted development if its ground floor area is no more than 3m², no part is over 3m high and it is at least 2m from a boundary with a road. We check before quoting.
Do I need planning permission in Devon?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Devon is in England, so England's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
How much does a porch cost?
A typical enclosed porch of 2–3m² costs £3,600–£8,200, including foundations, walls, roof, windows and a new door. A uPVC porch on a dwarf wall sits at the lower end, while a fully brick-built porch with a tiled roof costs more. Open canopies cost less. The door specification and moving drains or meters also affect the price. We confirm a fixed price after the survey.
Which postcodes in Devon do you cover?
We cover PL1, EX1, TQ3 and TQ1, along with the rest of Devon. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
Does a porch need building regulations approval?
Small porches are often exempt from building regulations, provided the existing front door stays between the porch and the house and the floor area is modest. Glazing must still be safety glass and any electrics must be certified. If you remove the front door so the porch becomes part of the house, it is treated like an extension. Rules vary between UK nations, so we confirm what applies.
Towns in Devon
Looking for a new porch somewhere in Devon? Start with the towns below; each links to a page with pricing for your region and coverage details.